The door is officially open for Tarik Skubal’s Detroit exit.
Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris did not rule out trading the back-to-back AL Cy Young winner with one year left on his contract and many expecting him to leave this offseason.
“I don’t believe in untouchable players at any level,” Harris told MLB Network on Monday at the winter meetings, per ESPN. “It’s not a commentary on Tarik; it’s more of a blanket approach to building a winning organization. My job is to make this organization better … which means that I need to listen to every opportunity, no matter how likely or unlikely it is to actually happen. I’ve got to listen because we’ve got to get better as an organization, so that’s our approach.
“We don’t have everything figured out, but it’s led to a ton of success in a very short period of time. And I can stand here and credibly say that we have both a bright present and a bright future, and this approach has led to that.”
MLB teams have been waiting for clarity from the Tigers regarding Skubal’s future since his presence would change the complexion of an offseason in which good pitchers can be had — Dylan Cease signed with the Blue Jays, while Framber Valdez and Ranger Suarez are still available — but there is not that rotation-changing ace in free agency.
Skubal is that difference-marker, a Game 1 bonafide stud that instantly changes a team’s ceiling and can swing any series.
The question the Tigers have to evaluate is whether they are better to trade him now, perhaps wait until midseason should the year go south or ride it out and potentially lose him for draft pick compensation.
Detroit previously faced a $250 million gap after offering a four-year, $80 million extension, The Post’s Jon Heyman reported, which indicates they won’t be serious contenders in free agency.
Skubal, who will be 30 next offseason, has a legit chance to top Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s record $325 million contract for pitchers, which does include two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani.
In theory, trading Skubal now would allow the Tigers to receive a boatload of assets that should ultimately outweigh the draft picks.
While he’s not a pitcher, trading Juan Soto and Trent Grisham to the Yankees netted the Padres two years of Michael King, top pitching prospect Drew Thorpe, two controllable arms and a backup catcher.
“I can’t, and I won’t, speculate on trades for our own players,” Harris said to MLB Network, per ESPN. “Like, it’s just not fair to the players. It’s not fair to the other teams. And the second thing is, there are 25 other guys in our locker room — twenty-five guys that are busting their butts to play on the field, and it takes all of us to actually get to the postseason. It’s not a commentary on Tarik. It’s the organizational ethos we have. It’s going to take all of us, it’s going to take every little thing, to get to the postseason.
“Listen, Tarik’s a Tiger right now. We’re thrilled he’s a Tiger. … He’s a huge part of what we’re doing right now.”
The Tigers will enter 2026 battling the Guardians for favorite status in the AL Central, with FanDuel giving Detroit the sixth-best odds (12/1) to win the AL pennant and 13th-best to win the World Series (27/1).
A large part of that has to do with Skubal’s dominance, with the southpaw going 13-6 with a 2.21 ERA in 2025 after posting an 18-4 record with a 2.39 ERA in 2024.
Trading Skubal will dramatically alter the team’s trajectory at a time when the American League seems wide open.
Should Skubal be made available, virtually any competitive team figures to be in the mix although the field may be limited to those with the capability to potentially re-sign him and avoid a one-and-done scenario.
“I think we have a really good team that we’re going to put on the field — and I think Tarik is a big part of that — but there are a lot of really talented players in this organization and in the big leagues that are helping us win a lot,” Harris said of the Tigers’ outlook, per ESPN.
